MYSTERY OF THE MOVE No one is sure of just why the house began having its problem. After all, in the many years the house stood, at its original location, no problems were reported. This, despite the fact that many people were born, and even died, under its roof. Generations came and went, and the house held its occupants safe and sound. Parties, of all types, took place, under its roof, as well as multiple wedding nights, and who knows how many birthday parties. For reasons, unknown to neighbors, the house became a sort of "meeting place", for young and old. Over the decades, several generations would grow up, playing in the yard. More than a few romances flourished, and soo on. No one ever had any fear, of the house, and, at times, people even sought refuge under its roof. The hoouse stood, firm, against many a blizzard, high winds, and so on. This despite the fact that the place was just over four stories tall, and built in the days before coonstruction codes even existed. Although, by modern standards, the house would be called "accessible", due to its wide halls, doorways, and spacious rooms, legend has it that the builder made the place so large due to the size of his family. Allegedly, the man had 25 children. What is known is that, by the time each group was ready to sell the place, upon going into retirement, someone, who had grown up, near, or on, the property, would take over ownership. As a result, over its long lifetime, the house would never see a "For Sale" sign. By the late twentieth century, the house would have hosted so much activity, that it was declared a community landmark. Everyone, from the Scouts, to civil rights groups, womens rights. Anyone who needed a meeting place had a first thought of the old house. The jooke was even made that, if the house was ever burglarized, that the whole city would have to be considered suspects, since everyone, from school children, through the police chief, and even the mayor, had spent enough time, in that house, to know the layout by memory. Fortunately, no one ever considered such an act. No, the trouble only started after the re-location. Since the house was such a major part of the city, locals pitched in, when it came time to move the old place. When the city had, previously, thought of demolition, the thought was tabled, faster than it was brought up. No one was ready to commit themselves to tearing down the one place the whole city knew and loved. As a result, several hundred people took part in preparing the house to be moved. What a moving coompany would have done, in couple of hours, locals spent days woorking on. And not just packing things up, either. The peple had decided that, whereever the house would sit, next, they wanted the place to look as it had, since the beginning. This is why photos were taken, and booxes numbered by room, and position. As for the reasoon for the move, that was obvious. The neighborhood the house had once stood in had changed, as families moved on, and renters had poor records. Over time, most of the properties were demolished, and a few shops came in. The prooblem was that the city needed a new shopping center, to replace the decaying one, and the area, of the old house, was chosen, as the new site, since no one was actually living there, anymore. Still, with furnishings carefully packed, and windows removed, and stored, a great many people would, openly, watch as the moving firm strapped the house into its slings, then began moving the "white elephant" to the new base, which was beging prepared for it. Due to the height of the house, people, aloong the move route were cautioned to be prepared for short-term black-outs, as power, and telephone, lines were cut, to move the house. It would not bbe until after the house was settled onto its new foundation, and workers were fixing cracks, and other faults, that the first reports, of "sightings" began to come in. The first few reports would be from workers, doing some final fixes. The reports would be of seeing a woman (not in white), who would ask where she was. When woorkers would tel the lady where she was, she would question them, saying she couldn't see HER yard. After a few more questions, thhe workers would turn to the lady, to say "This is the homes new spot", yet, when they looked, there was no one there. The next occurances were when tools, and supplies, began going missing. This, ofcourse, was dismissed as "petty theft", until the "stolen" supplies turned up, at, of all places, the homes original location. After several thefts, the next happening was that a woman, in street attire, circa maybbe 1930, was spotted, multiple times, walking toward thhe hmes old location. Neighbors reported that thhe woman would come to them, looking confused, and saying "I cant find my house". Althugh the womans clothes changed, from report to report, what remained was that the woman was seeking her hme. Then, the house became "active" (fr lack of a better word), withh sounds being hheard, both day and night. By day, workers checked the house, to see who was inside, either before, or after, work. No one was found. When neighbors began seeing lighted candles moving about the house, after dark, the police investigated, yet nthing was found. Then came the moaning. Clear, and audible, froom next door, it sounded like something had been lost, and someone was grieving. Although the police heard the moaning, as well, the source could not be found. All anyone had to go on was when an elderly woman came forward to say that she remembered that moaning, from her childhood. She said it was a "Miss Alice, who was moaning the death of her husband. The woman said she remembered how the community had come to Miss Alice's aid, when her first husband died, in a bad accident. The woman said that, although Miss Alice re-married, to provide her children with a father, she never got over her first husbnd. The question was: Why start "haunting", now? Why not start, after her death, so many years ago? When the old woman said she suspected that Miss Alice was crying, over her home being moved, the woman was reminded that the city needed the new shpping center, which was being built. Even as a deputy spoke of the new development, to the old woman, a shriek rang out, from the house. A shriek of desperation. Soon, after this, almost everyone present was sure they heard a voice say "I want to go home". In the weeks, and months, following "Miss Alices" Appearance, other spirits would make their presence known. The "Distinguished Man", whom no one remembered, by name, yet many remembered, by his appearance, began sighting him on the property. The man was remembered as being "distinguished", by virtue of the fact that the man was never without a siut, and tie. No one knew what kind of business he was in. All that anyone knew was that he, always, had enough money to keep his bills paid. Some people remembered the man as bbeing the "force", which had, at times, growled at trespassing children. There were other spirits present, as well, including staff members, and others, who had worked on the house, over the decades. There was, ofcourse, the couple, who had made their money, by filming, in their bedroom. When the couple was found, dead, in bed, one morning, no one questioned the deaths. As for the "Distinguished Man", he died, of a heart attack. Other staff died, of various, work-related, causes, includin g an electrician, who had tried to pry two electrical lines apart, without proper, protective, gear. No one was surprised that the man electrocuted himself. The electrician even got the blame, each time the homes lights began turning on, and off, at all hours. Rumor had it that the man was, wstill, trying to fix his mistakes, even after death. And, sure, there was a widow woman, who had spent years, trying to contact the spirit, of her late husband. In her later years, after being un-successful, at contacting her late husband, the widow took to booze. Never in public, though. She never drank, in public, but she was, often reported as never having been seen, sober, in her later years. As a result, her death would be ruled "natural causes", instead of depression, and alcohollism. As these "people" began roaming the area, more and more often, occassionally asking the living "Where am I?", and this was coupled with the blinking lights, and the growls, it wasn't long before the community became concerned. To many, local, people, it was as if the house were being "possessed" by forces, unknown. Then, the city coucill got more, bad, news. At the shopping mall construction site, construction equipment refused to operate. Motors stopped, almost immediately after starting, and hand tools fell to pieces, in workers hands. When a group decided to research the homes history, the group ended up with something almost as large as an encyclopedia. According to the groups findings, more than a "multitude" of people had come, gone, been born, married, and even died, in the house. Until its move, though, there had b een no paranormal activity, and locals had looked UP, to the house, with love and respect. In fact, this is the very same house which people were, now, coming to fear. When even police patrols did not result in a reduction, of paranormal activity, with officers filing "incident reports", as well as the public, the city took the advice, of the research group, and pllans were drawn up, to move the house BACK to its original location. No one kn ew why, but, the ill feelings, people had, abbout the original move, melted away, as the house was moved BACK, to its original location. Even the sorrow, which people had felt, since thew house was moved, was replaced with joy, as the "white elephant" was moved back to its original location. As soon as the house was secured, to its "new" foundation, no one was surprised, when the "hauntings" just stopped. What no one would, ever, admit to was whhat happened, at the victory celebration, the community held, once the house was settled, and repairs were c omplete. When a few children asked their parents who the people were, and pointed to the homes froont porch, eyes widened, and jaws went slack. There, on the porch, watching the celebration, were the full-bodied apparations, of those who had died, at the house, over the years. Not looking scary, or evil, at all. Mostly, the apparitions just smiled, as if theyy were happy to be home, and to see the joy, around them. When the city coucil asked for suggestions, for what to do with the area, around the house, now that the shopping center would not be built there, the suggestion came forward, to make the house into a pavilian, of a new park. After all, the house HAD been a gathering place, for decades. Why not just make it a more spacious, gathering place? To this plan, however, there would be only one downside. As the area was re-developed, seniors began regailling the young, with stories, about the house. Most of the stories were just innocent fun, and pleasant, to listen to, but other stories were ones which parents would prefer that children NOT know about. These included the stories the seniors told children, abbout the childrens own parents. Somehow, though, being in the "shadow", of that old house, made everything alright. It was as if the house was a kind of "beacon". A fixed, reliable, point, in an ever-changing world. When the question was raised, of what to do when the house outlived its "durabbility", and was no-longer usable, the decision was made to let future generations deal with this issue. As it was, the history, of the house, had grown from the days oof live musical performances, and into the world of C.D.'s, M.P.3's, and DVD's. Who knew how many coats of paint the house wore. From old, casement, windows, single pane, and drafty, to modern, insulated, glass, and weather stripping. The old house had seen it all. How many more changes the place would see, over the years to come, was anyones guess. All anyone knew was that, if people said they were goiing to a "special place", then everyone knew where they were goiing. A place where bicycles, roller-skates, swing sets, and so on, had evoled, with the years, and with the generations. A place people could count on.